Chapter 38: The Second Trial, Part I
“My Queen, let me fix your headdress,” Kieran softly said to me as he fixed my silver headpiece.
It was designed like the skull of a wolf, with its long fangs going down the sides of my head. Kieran tucked a loose hair behind my ear.
He decided to wear the silver armor we had commissioned from the blacksmith in Estern earlier. As it arrived earlier than expected, I took the liberty of using a bit of my blood to strengthen the metal.
“Are you ready?”
I took a deep breath before fixing his helmet, with a design similar to mine. “I was born ready, Chief.”
Kieran practically shimmered under the sunlight as he stepped into the arena, carrying his twin axes. I walked behind him, wearing a matching piece.
Today marks the second trial.
The arena was filled with roars and jeers from the audience. The Lycan Council made the second trial a spectacle by selling admission tickets worth almost a year’s salary.
On top of it all, they placed a betting system on who would win or not. Bigger and bigger bets were placed.
After all, they had already expected someone to win.
A familiar bitter sensation formed in my mouth as I remembered the suffering of the members of the Nightfall Pack.
A stark reminder… that those seated at the Council table had nothing in mind but to continue living their lavish lives on the expense of commoners.
Medea and Augustus stepped out from the other side of the arena, both wearing silver armor that had been passed down through the generations of Lockes.
She smirked as she eyed Kieran and my outfit. “Is that all you can afford, my dearest sister? Silver won’t make your powers stronger.”
I didn’t answer. Kieran met her mocking with calm indifference. He simply swung one of his axes over his shoulder and glanced at the stage in the upper middle part of the audience area.
Castiel stepped out of a curtained room, holding his scepter. His deep blue robes shifted as he faced the roaring audience.
He raised his scepter. “Brothers and sisters of the Moon, we witness today the second trial for the Throne. A Divine Link between a Queen and her Vassal is one of the highest forms of connection a pair could have. A Divine Link must be unbreakable, unbendable… formidable.”
Castiel slammed his scepter on the floor, flooding the arena with blue light. Massive protective fields engulfed the arena. “A Queen cannot be without her Sword, and a Sword shall break and bend for its master. Grace us with the sight of the true power of the Goddess’s most favored. The trial… commences.”
Kieran and I prepared for the first phase of the trial, as two massive gates on either side of the arena rolled up, letting two werebeasts out into the arena with us.
The rule was simple for the first half of the round. Whoever tames a rogue werebeast first gets a point.
The pair of werebeasts, both with tails of dragons and heads of lions, roared in front of us. It felt as if we were nothing but ants in front of them.
But Kieran wiped any kind of nervousness left in me. He stood in front of me as a pair of blue lights manifested on our wrists, linking us.
The Divine Link burned brighter than before. After all, Kieran and I spent the last two nights strengthening our bond under the moon.
Kieran didn’t waste any more seconds. He leapt on the werebeast’s back, grabbing it by the hair.
The werebeast whimpered. His axes bounced against the beast’s skin. Using my magic, I made a thick chain manifest between Kieran’s twin axes, which he used to wrap around the werebeast’s snout and pull her to the ground.
The werebeast growled, this time, its voice mixed with pain. Her stomach glowed, manifesting two forms of life with beating hearts.
“A pregnant werebeast…” I whispered as I gently touched her nose. The werebeast let out a deep breath, her eyes filled with pain.
Golden light poured out of my hand as I healed her with my divine magic, with the audience erupting in a roar. The werebeast closed her eyes, her body slowly shifting into the body of a young woman with greenish-brown hair.
She knelt in front of me, clutching her belly. Her deep orange eyes glowed as she looked up to me. “Master…”
I glanced up to Castiel, who nodded in approval. My eyes darted across the arena, where Medea struggled to even manifest the thinnest string of light between her and Augustus.
The werebeast in front of them let out a bellowing roar as it lunged towards them, intending to strike Augustus with its massive dragon tail.
“No, my mate…” the pregnant werebeast in front of me cried, as soon as Augustus raised his sword to brace for the attack.
Instinctively, I cast a protective barrier over him, preventing the beast from hitting him. The crowd grew restless.
After all, my history with him wasn’t a secret.
The werebeast, enraged, turned and charged at us. Kieran braced himself, his grip on his axes tightening.
“No! Don’t attack her, Malik! She saved our twins!” the pregnant werebeast called, putting herself between her mate and us.
The male werebeast immediately shifted into his human form, wearing nomadic clothes like the woman. He immediately touched her round belly, as if to check on their offspring…
I immediately stepped back as soon as he fell on his knees in front of me, his orange eyes sobbing. Malik bowed deeply, his head touching the dusty floor of the arena.
“Master…” he sobbed. “I owe you the life of my twins!”
The crowd grew louder. I was aware of the bets most of them placed, and I know that most of them were not in favor of me.
After all, I am just a contender.
I glanced at Castiel once again, who seemed pleased with the results of the first round. Then, my eyes went to the pair…
How come Medea couldn’t even form a link with her Vassal? I know that Augustus was still linked with me, but…
She had almost sat on the throne with the crown on her head. How come she couldn’t even form a Divine Link with her Vassal?
My thoughts were interrupted as the loud sound of the bell from the Temple nearby rang. Two Black Wolves escorted Malik and his wife back into the waiting area under the seats of the arena, where Lind was waiting.
Castiel stood up, his scepter burning brighter. There it was—the second round of the second trial.
The one I had been worrying about.
“Without further ado, the second round of the second trial commences. The strength of a Queen’s Sword must be incomparable. Today, these Vassals will grace us with their loyalty to their Queens with a fight to test one's limits. May the Goddess show us her favored!”